Local opticians appeal for unwanted specs

Specsavers in Hamilton is urging people to donate their old, unwanted glasses to a cause which aims to improve the eye health of people in the developing world.

The store in Quarry Street collected more than 1,000 pairs of glasses for Vision Aid Overseas in 2015 and is once again encouraging customers to donate to the charity this year.

Customers can get involved in the appeal by dropping old frames into the store’s collection box, which will then be sent to the charity.

A word from our store director

Emma Foster, store director at Specsavers in Hamilton, said: ‘To have collected 1,000 frames is a great achievement and we would like to thank everyone who donated.

‘There must be thousands of spare specs lying around that are no longer of use to their owners. It would be fantastic if we could top the 1,000 mark this year.

‘We are used to having easy access to excellent eyecare on our high streets but most people in Zambia find it very difficult to access even the most basic facilities. It’s important that we do what we can to improve eyecare and eye health in the developing world.’

Essential eyecare needed

The unwanted glasses are recycled and the money raised is used to fund the charity’s work in developing countries. This includes giving people much-needed eye tests and treatment, and training local optometrists.

With the help of Specsavers, the international charity is committed to providing eyecare for people living in Zambia. Previously, there had been very limited provision for the one in four Zambians who desperately require it, with just a handful of qualified optometrists serving the 15million population.

Specsavers has worked closely with Vision Aid Overseas for the last decade and is continuing to do so. In this time, the opticians has raised more than £800,000 and has collected in excess of 250,000 pairs of glasses.

The money has been put to good use by funding the construction of a school for optometry in Zambia’s capital, Lusaka, and nine vision centres across the country.